


Un-tie-tled

by OlianderWilde



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fake Character Death, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Post-War, Snarry-A-Thon20, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24021043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlianderWilde/pseuds/OlianderWilde
Summary: Harry and Severus are invited to the same murder mystery dinner party. When an actual crime occurs, they work together to figure out whodunit.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 26
Kudos: 85
Collections: Snarry_a_Thon20





	Un-tie-tled

**Author's Note:**

> Past underage student/teacher relationship implied.

_Dear Harry,  
It would be an honour if you would attend my Murder Mystery party to celebrate my 28th birthday. It will be held at the home one of my other friends has provided, the address of which will only be revealed to you if you decide to come.  
Date: January 12  
Time: 5pm  
Location: West Midlands  
Dress Code: Formal, that means a suit, with a tie, mate!  
What to Bring: Any deduction skills, also I expect a present; just because I’m an adult doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to be spoiled!  
~ With all the love possible, short of romance, Jason_  
_P.S. If you come can I borrow those quills of yours? It really goes with the theme of the night._

'So, what’s this, then?' Harry placed the invitation back in the charcoal black envelope.

'Seriously? I figured even you could read, Harry, it’s an invitation,' Jason said, slicing his burger in two and chucking a couple of chips into his mouth.

‘Yeah, no I got that but, I don’t know, I’ve never met any of your other friends...'

'And this is the perfect time to get to know them: no pressure, we have dinner, drinks, solve a murder, play a few board games and you’ll be home before midnight.'

'Okay but a suit?' Harry asked. 'Do I have to? How about my nice pair of trousers, a button-up and that black jacket you liked.'

'You know how awful that jacket is, though, right? And no, everyone's wearing a suit, you’ll be the odd one out, not a great place to start with my other mates.' Harry groaned over his salad. 'How about that is my birthday present: you wear a suit and you don’t have to get me anything.'

'Fine, but I want to be on record saying I hate ties, why _anyone_ would want to wear something that could be used to choke them is beyond me.'

'Ha, that is exactly what the bloke providing the house said, nearly word for word.'

'Hmm, and what is he like?' Harry asked.

Jason looked up as an onion dropped from his burger half. 'What is he like as in _what is he like_? Or what is he like in a _would I be interested in him_ sort of way?'

'The second one... obviously.'

'Well he is not the most handsome sort of bloke, but then I don’t look at him that way; I dunno, he is kinda older, standoffish, witty, probably read the dictionary as a kid. Look, I donno what sort of things you like in a guy.'

'You’ll have to point him out to me; does he have a name?'

'What are you, desperate? Yes, he has a name but he is a private sort, I don’t even have his phone number. He just turned up one night at the book club. 'e says the weirdest things sometimes but clever... Oh, and he's gay, defended Oscar Wilde like it was personal.'

'I like smarts; what sort of books does he like?'

'Well, we read mostly classics, he doesn’t talk much in the group, outside a few insults at the more phobic authors. Although, sometimes when Jamie gets on a rant you can tell he wants to say something; probably takes all his self-control not to tear him a new one.'

'So how did you become friends then?' Harry asked, stealing a chip.

'Hey! Get your own! He liked my take on Conan-Doyle and asked if I wanted to discuss it over a cup of tea. You’re unbelievable, here I am trying to set you up with this bloke and you steal my food, you already don’t have to give me a present, what more could you possibly want?' Jason said, feigning offence.

'Come on, Jay, you know I already got you a present, besides, you weren’t going to eat all these anyway.'

'Says you, I might have skipped breakfast.'

'You never skip breakfast. Where am I meeting you for this party?'

'A little pub called the Red Lion in Cokeworth, we’ll meet up there and walk over, unless it's raining.'

'Oh shit, I know that place, I have a bad history with that whole area… Perfect for a creepy Murder Mystery though. Look, I gotta run, but I’ll see you there next week.' Harry got up and started shrugging on his jacket. 'No tie,' he said, dropping a crisp twenty-pound note on the table.

'I’ll bring spares,' Jason chuckled. 'See you!'

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

Harry rolled his eyes as the first few drops of rain hit the windscreen of his car. He had another 20 minutes before he would arrive at the pub and it was already dark; soon the rain would turn into snow and he'd forgotten to bring his puffer jacket. Being friends with Muggles meant he wouldn’t able to keep the snow off himself magically. Hopefully, he could get away with a subtle warming charm or two.

When the wheels of Harry’s car finally crunched on the gravel of the pub’s parking area (to call it a car park would be too much of an exaggeration), he could see a group of people huddled together under a few umbrellas outside the bright orange glow of the pub - One of the group, he immediately recognised as Jason.

'Hey, why aren’t you inside?' he called over, 'It’s bloody freezing out here!'

'Fucking pub is so old it only has one entrance!' Jason shouted over the sound of the heavy rain and pointed to the skinny pub door at the top of a pile of stairs. 'Kinda hard for me to get in at the mo'. I told this lot to take shelter, but apparently, solidarity is more important than getting me a damn beer.'

'Haha, good thing I brought you a case then. Am I the last one?'

'Yeah, fashionably late as ever, thank you. Now say hello to my mates. Sofie, Jodie and Grace are from my D&D group, this is Harry. We met when I rolled over his foot.'

'His own fault, no doubt,' called the deep voice of the tall man leaning against the brick wall. 'He has always been a clumsy mess.'

Snape stepped forward into the orange glow, 'Snape?' Harry stumbled backwards and his knees trembled. 'Snape!'

'You two know each other?' Jason furrowed his eyebrows.

'YOU BASTARD!' Harry charged at Snape, pushing him against the wall, 'You bastard!' He hit him in the chest weakly a few times before crumbling and sobbing into Snape’s chest. 'You bastard,' Harry cried weakly.

'Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting that.' Jason leaned forward in his wheelchair. 'You okay, Severus?'

'Of course,' Snape held Harry up and hugged him as he cried into his chest.

'Did you want to clue us into what just happened… or do you think we’re just gonna let that go as if nothing happened?'

'Harry is likely upset because he thought I was dead.'

'Haha, what? Why did he think that?'

'I faked my death a few years ago. Shall we get out of this cold?'

'Faked your death, ever the mystery, you are,' Jason smiled. 'Yeah, let’s go… Harry, you okay?'

'No! Severus. You’re real, you died, I watched you die. How can you be real?'

'Look, we’ll talk all about it but we need to get into the car unless you want everyone to be shivering the rest of the night.'

'I… I can’t. I can't let go of you.'

'That’s okay, you don’t have to,' Snape said, leading him towards the bright yellow minivan parked on the road not far away. He and Harry got into the back.

Jodie hopped into the driver seat next to Grace. 'I feel like I’m intruding a bit, don't you? Hey Jay! Is this part of the Murder Mystery or what?'

'Gah, I wish! No, if I could plan this sort of shit, I wouldn’t be working payroll, that’s for sure. Severus, did you really fake your own death?' Jason asked as the van kicked itself into motion.

'Yes.'

'And how exactly did you and Harry know each other?'

'Well…'

'It’s complicated.' Harry interrupted, wiping his face with his sleeves.

'Yeah, seems it. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’re not wearing a tie, good thing I brought a spare.' Jason threw a thin black tie behind himself to land between Severus and Harry.

'I don’t know how to put one on,' Harry lied, hoping he could get away with it.

'Here,' Severus said gently. 'I’ll do it.'

'Yeah, Severus’ll do it for ya 'Arry!' Jason said playfully.

Harry swallowed as Severus draped the tie over his neck. 'You remember the last time I did this, don’t you?' Severus asked in a quiet voice as the minivan pulled into the driveway of Spinner’s end.

'Yeah,' Harry whispered. 'Slughorn’s Christmas party, after I couldn't tie it myself. You made me promise never to tie a tie without you there to fix it.' Harry gave him a wet smile and the rest of their company hopped out the van, looking back with curious glances that neither of them paid any attention to.

'Harry…' Severus whispered.

'I never did, you know, even at all the funerals. Hermione got angry at me for not wearing a tie to her wedding.'

'Yes, I heard Weasley and Granger had a child too, congratulations.'

'You bastard,' Harry got up and crawled out of the van, followed by Severus. 'Look, I’m going to apologize to Jay; I have to go home… this is- it's too much.'

Severus ran in front of him to stop him. 'If you do that, then I have no choice but to follow, you might want to think before you leave though, Jason put a lot of work into tonight, it would hurt him a lot if we both left.' Harry sidestepped Severus, storming forward.

'Ugh,' he groaned, 'I hate it when you’re right.' Turning around, Harry said, 'You’re coming home with me tonight, though. I’m not letting you go again.'

'I can live with that. Do you have your wand on you?'

'You know I don’t need it.'

'I do know. However, I might, should any rogue Death Eaters have followed you here.'

Harry rolled his eyes. 'Right ankle, but you should know I can handle myself. It’s not your job to protect me anymore.'

'It will always be my job to protect you, Harry.'

'Yeah. My hero.' Harry said sarcastically and rolled his eyes, 'Come on.'

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

After everyone had gathered in the sitting room, Severus handed out towels to all the guests for them to dry themselves while Harry surreptitiously cast some warming and drying charms around the room to hurry everything along. After that, Severus served a beautiful meal with a pumpkin soup starter, lasagne main, and then out came the birthday cake fitted with twenty-eight candles. Everyone sang _Happy Birthday_ and Jason somehow managed to blow all the candles out in one go… that is, until they all reignited.

'Oh my lord, who is responsible for this, then?'

'That would be me!' smiled Jodie, 'You said you always wanted to see how they worked.'

'Besides,' added Sofie, 'You should definitely not be in charge of wishing for something, knowing you it would either be really inappropriate or personal.'

'You know me too well, apparently. I wished to know the drama I caused between Harry and Severus.' Jason smiled cheekily.

Harry and Severus looked over at each other knowingly. 'Shame you told us your wish then,' said Harry.

'Indeed, for now, you shall never know,' Severus agreed, smirking.

'Oh come on!' Cried Jason, 'I behaved all through dinner, I didn’t even hint at anything, can’t you take pity?'

'Very well, Potter, may I?' Severus asked for permission, although to say what, Harry wasn’t entirely certain.

' _Potter_ now, am I? Yeah, may as well. Not knowing must be killing him.'

'Sorry, Harry, old habits...'

'If that’s your excuse, does that mean I get to call you _sir_?'

'Only if I get to give you detention, and…'

'Jesus! Are you two flirting?' Jason looked incredulously between them. 'So you clearly have a history, and then what? You,' he pointed at Severus, 'decided to fake your own death?'

'Yeah,' answered Harry, 'And somewhere after that, he got a haircut.'

'You got taller.'

'You got scars.'

'Well, being eaten alive can do that to you.'

'Holy shit! Don’t tell me you guys fucked,' Jason interrupted.

'We never quite made it that far.'

'Snape!' Harry stared at him, disbelievingly. 'Seriously? Hey, I’m sorry Jay, I know this is meant to be all about you today.'

'It’s fine, I’m loving it! You two can go upstairs if you wanna take a minute… Just no sex, it is my birthday and I can’t bear the thought of others getting laid when I don’t get to.'

'Trust me, that won’t be an issue,' Harry said, dragging Snape upstairs.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

'I'm assuming you cast a silencing charm?' Severus asked.

'I'm not a complete idiot you know.'

'I know, I apologise.' Snape walked over and tried to embrace him, 'I missed you.'

'No, you don't get to say that! You left me! I get to be angry first!' Harry pushed Severus against the wall.

'Yes, of course, I deserve it all. Shout as loud as you need.' Harry then proceeded to wrap his arms around Severus' torso, pulling him tight against him.

'Where did you go?' Harry whispered.

He managed to wriggle one of his arms from Harry’s grip and began petting his hair. 'Here, at first. I had a go-bag and some potions. I knew the Death Eaters would come after me once they knew I defected, so I went off the grid for a year. I didn’t want you to have to keep running. I planned on coming back after the trials,' Snape leaned forward a little to place his chin on the top of Harry’s head.

'So why didn't you? I made sure your name was cleared.'

'I went to the Burrow on your birthday, watched you all night, trying to work up the courage to go inside, but I saw Ginervra kiss you and I realised how selfish I was being; you deserve someone young and beautiful who can give you everything you desire and more.'

'Severus, she was drunk, there wasn’t anything going on. The whole family yelled at her for it.'

'I know, I _do_ know that, but it doesn’t change the fact that seeing you with someone like… we both needed to move on, and to do that, I couldn’t come back.'

'I don't believe you!' Harry untangled himself and stepped back from Severus. 'What the fuck is wrong with you? You just decided all this without asking me! I would have loved to have run away with you! Did you think I wanted to deal with the media firestorm all speculating about my life for the last three years? There was a full three month period where I couldn’t go anywhere in the magical world because a mass of witches would throw themselves at me. The number of marriage proposals alone in the days following Tom's death... I was grieving! For you!'

'I'm sorry.'

'Damn right you are! I had to take Polyjuice for far too long, and it was awful because you didn't brew it. It tasted awful, wasn't accurate, and I had to sip it every 15 minutes.'

'You want me to apologise for not brewing you Polyjuice potion?'

'Yes!'

'Alright, I'm sorry. But why didn’t you get Fred and George to make it for you?'

'Oh. You didn't hear. Fred lost his magic, and George has barely smiled since Lee died. Fred runs the shop with Ron and Charlie, but only from a business point. They don't make anything new.'

'Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't know, what-' Snape stopped abruptly and turned to the door. There was a piercing scream coming from downstairs. 'Give me your wand!'

'You can't just go down there brandishing a wand, they're Muggles.' Harry handed over his wand anyway.

'I know that! Come on,' Snape pulled the door open, shoving Harry's wand up the sleeve of his jacket.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

Harry was the first to make it downstairs and the scene that met him made his heart stop. All of the guests were standing in the sitting room, Sofie shaking uncontrollably while Jodie consoled her, Grace had just come in from the kitchen at the sound of the scream. Jason was hunched over in his chair, a letter opener sticking out of his back, blood seeping from the wound. Harry stopped on the bottom step as Snape strode past him to check Jason's pulse.

'Potter, you had training at the academy, you know how to question the suspects. I suggest you call 999; I will attempt to keep him alive. Please take everyone away; the library is through there.'

'Will do. Alright, all of you need to come through this way,' Harry directed them all toward the doorway leading to the library. He then went to the other side of the room and cast a stasis charm on the kitchen before pulling the kitchen door closed. 'Severus, is he…?' Severus nodded. 'You need to help him. I have some things in here you can use.' Harry tossed Snape his dragon-hide satchel and cast another stasis charm over the crime scene.

'You’ll need this,' Severus said, chucking Harry his phone. 'Don't leave them in there alone too long, they need to be separated.'

'Yes, sir.' Harry jogged back to the library and closed the door behind him. 'Alright you three, I need you not to look or talk to each other. Sofie, please sit down. Jodie, I need you over here, and Grace, please take a seat at the writing desk.'

'Is he going to be okay?' Jodie asked, her voice threatening to give out.

'Severus will do his best to save him, but I don't really know right now. I'm sorry to put you through this but I need a statement from each of you, as detailed as you can give. I need it to go as far back as to how you came to be at the pub earlier this evening, what you said, your relationship to Jay and each other, as well as what you were doing at the time of the stabbing. I'll get you each a parchment and quill.'

'Quills? How do you write with a quill?' Sofie asked.

'There is ink, you just dip it in and write, it is easier than it looks. I need to contact the police.' Harry opened his phone to dial 999 while handing out the parchment, 'Shit. Hey everyone, I need your phones.'

'Our phones?' questioned Grace. 'What for?'

'Mine is broken and I need to call the police. However, if for some reason one of you doesn't want that, feel free to keep your phone.' They all gave their phones willingly; he needed to talk to Severus.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

'Hey, how's it going? Is he gonna pull through?'

'Barely, is the ambulance on their way?' Harry shook his head. 'I've saved him but if I give him any more potions it could interact with the muggle drugs and cause further damage.'

'You don't need to worry about that right now, you can give him whatever he needs. Remember those warming charms I cast earlier? I forgot to shield the phones, so none of them are working. He is going to be fine, right?'

'Yes, he will have a scar but he'll be cracking wise again in no time. He and everyone else are going to be very suspicious if they see him going about as if nothing happened, though. Everyone saw he was stabbed and he no doubt felt it.'

'Right. So what do we do? If we floo the DMLE they can take care of everything, but we won't know who tried to kill him.'

'And I'm not very keen to be thrust into the wizarding world all at once again.'

'Right,' Harry nodded. 'Look, Sev, you don't think this was part of it, do you? This wasn't part of the murder mystery?'

'No. I helped him plan the evening, and the character cards were still in his jacket pocket. There is no way this was part of it.' Severus gestured to the table where six character cards were laid out. 'Jay didn't like the idea of someone having to be the victim and not get to play, so he tossed the card and said he'd make it a hypothetical.'

'Fuck,' Harry sighed, 'Who on earth would want to kill him?'

'One of the three we have in there, apparently. I'm done here. I've put him to sleep so his wound will start to heal on its own, and gave him some blood replenishers. There is nothing left for me to do. Shall we question the other guests together, or would you prefer to do that by yourself?'

'I have them each writing a statement at the moment but we'll need somewhere more private to do the interviews.'

'Should we have a look around for clues first?'

'Clues? I think you mean evidence, Jay said you like to read Conan-Doyle.' Severus' cheeks reddened. 'The crime scene will hold until we have time to get to it, I think conducting interviews and getting our witnesses away from each other should be our top priority.'

'And by "conducting interviews" you mean…?'

'Legilimency.'

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

They knew something would happen this time. Sofie and Jodie had shown no resistance in their minds and no guilt. Well, they both had some father issues, but certainly nothing to call the muggle police over. When Grace shuffled her way into their make-shift interrogation room, she was practically bursting to confess. As soon as she sat down the tears started rolling down her cheeks in an almost comic effect, 'I did it! It was me. I'm so so sorry. I wasn't thinking. Mercy! Mercy, please.'

Harry looked across the table at Snape, both had their eyebrows raised. Well this was certainly easier than they had anticipated. Muggles.

Although not as forthcoming as the initial confession, her statement as to why she had wanted to kill Jason was still given freely.

Between the near constant sobs and the blowing of her nose, the two men were able to decipher that Jason's mother, a surgeon, was unable to save Grace's child after a random knife attack. 

'But why Jason?'

Halfway through explaining that she just wanted someone to have to suffer as she had, Harry rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room. Fucking ridiculous. 

When Severus came downstairs with a tear stained Grace in tow, Harry had already modified the memories of Jodie, Sofie and Jason and they were sitting down at the table playing _Carcassonne,_ still a little dazed.

All four of them looked up at the pale woman as she followed Severus, 'Hey, I hope your sister is alright,' Sofie said softly.

'Yeah, we'll see you next week if you can make it,' Jodie smiled.

At the confused look on Grace's face, Severus sped up and they made it through the door before she could ask what they were going on about and had a moment to question just how Jason was conscious at all, let alone enough to play games.

Harry pushed back his chair and stood up, 'I think I'll just go check on them, I'll be back in a tick,' he made his way to the entry-hall. 

'They're all done?' Severus asked, still waiting for Grace to tie her laces.

'Yeah, they're still a bit out of it but they'll come 'round. You got what you needed from her?'

'She's ready when you are. Do keep it consistent with the others…'

Harry scoffed and pulled his wand from the waistband of his trousers. Snape winced, then moved back into the room to take Harry's place at the table.  
'Alright,' he guided Grace to sit down on the bench by the door, 'look into my eyes,' her eyes shone, still wet with tears and after she blinked once, Harry cast, ' _Legilimens_.'

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%

Harry walked over to his car from the group still discussing if Spock was really in love with Captain Kirk. Snape leaned against the passenger side door with his arms crossed, 'Ready to go?' Harry unlocked the car but made no move to get in, instead he leaned against the car, next to Severus.

They both stayed there for a little while watching the trio arguing, despite all agreeing, then Jason shouted 'Of course they were in love! It's practically canon,' and they both chuckled, looking at each other. 

'Look, Severus,' Harry made to stand up but was pushed back down by Snape's hand on his shoulder.

'You don't have to explain yourself, Harry, I understand, it's too late…'

'Ugh, will you quit being so fucking melodramatic?' Harry interrupted, lifting himself to his toes to press his mouth to Severus'.

Severus grasped his shoulders, turning to press Harry's back into the cold metal of the car door and deepened the kiss. He buried a hand in Harry's rat's nest of hair, the other slipping down to settle on Harry's hip. 

'OI! At least wait 'til I'm gone, you fucking twats!' Jason called over as the women giggled.

Harry felt Severus pull away slightly and slide his hands down, grasping Harry's thighs to lift him onto the bonnet. _Fuck that was hot_. Harry closed his eyes once again allowing Snape to deepen the kiss.

'Oh, for fuck sake!' Jason called again.

Harry pulled back, gasping for air and Severus moved down to lavished his jaw with kisses.

'Y- you wanna get outta here?' Harry's hot, laboured breath fogged in the cool night air.

'No,' Snape continued down to his neck.

Harry thrust forward, 'Oh fuck, come on, Sev. I, I have a bedroom.'

Severus pulled back so suddenly that the loss of contact almost hurt. As if only just realising what Harry meant he stepped back, pulling Harry with him by the arms. 'I'm not getting in that death trap.'

'Well, we can't apparate,' Harry gestured over to the spot where the three friends had been not long ago, 'Nevermind.'

Severus nodded and dragged him over by the side of the pub, 'Are you sure you want this?' he asked, checking to see no one else was around.

'Absolutely.'

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment here or at [LiveJournal](https://snape-potter.livejournal.com/3912443.html), [Insanejournal](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/snape_potter/1838921.html), or [Dreamwidth](https://snape-potter.dreamwidth.org/1170908.html).


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